Escaping
by shygirl5817
Summary: Sera is fleeing from her old country Maren into Tortall. There, she becomes a page, but who is she really?
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fanfiction, so I hope you enjoy! Please R&R, and if possible, tell me how I can improve my writing. Thanks!

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><p>As the midnight bell rung, a man and a woman hurried quietly through the dark, silent halls of the castle. The man held a young, sleeping girl, around five years old, while another girl, eleven years old, ran behind them, trying to keep up with their adult sized paces. Although she had no idea what was happening, she felt overwhelmed by the intensity of the situation. Curiosity finally overcoming her anxiety, she whispered softly, intending to ask where they were going, "Mama?"<p>

Her mother urgently shook her head and put a finger on her lips, signaling for silence. She grabbed the girl's hand, and pulled her along. Finally, they stopped at a door. It was a normal door, with nothing to indicate it was any different from the other doors. The room itself was also the same as all the other rooms. Inside, it contained a small bed, a desk, and a bookshelf. The woman immediately went and knelt in front of the desk. Her fingers silently explored the elaborate carvings on the edges of the desk until she finally found what she was looking for. She pushed and heard a little click. The man had woken the sleeping child already. When he heard the click, he swiftly moved to the bookshelf. He squinted, trying to read the titles. His eyes landed on a small book. He reached his hand out and took out the book. Immediately, a bookshelf slid over, revealing a door.

Suddenly, a bell started tolling from outside. Soon, loud shouts filled the air as more and more people woke up. "We've got to hurry," the man muttered, kneeling in front of his children. "Listen carefully," he whispered urgently. "If you follow this tunnel out, you will find Gammon waiting for you." Gammon was the man who helped raise the two children ever since they were born. In a way, he was their nanny. "He will lead you to a boat heading to Tortall. There you will find a man named Sir Myles of Olau. You must tell him our names and everything about your life in this castle. Be careful, don't trust anyone else."

"But Papa," the child whispered back, "What about you and Mama?"

Their mother also came and knelt in front of them. "We won't be able to go with you. You are strong, Sera, so make sure to take care of yourself. Here, take my sword." She handed her sword to Sera. Sera took it, trembling. It was the sword that her mother treasured, simple in appearance, yet lighter and quicker than a usual sword. It was a special sword, but Sera didn't know how. All she knew was that her mother always kept it with her. "In Tortall, they let women become knights. We had Gammon notify the castle that you are going to become a page. You are going to be using a different identity. Be a good girl and listen to Gammon."

Her father looked at her with serious eyes. "Sera, you must not ever breathe a word to anyone except Sir Myles about who you really are. The training for a page should be similar to the training you receive right now. You must never complain. Never tattletale on another person. I've heard there were pages that got run out by the other pages simply because they tattled. Also, try not to show off or do anything differently from the other pages. It will only gain you enemies."

Her mother tried to smile. She had tears in her eyes. "Goodbye, Sera. Make sure to take care of your sister. Sir Myles is a nice man. He will help you guys. I love you both. Don't ever forget that," She kissed them both on the forehead.

Their father did the same. "I love both of you, too. Bye, Seraphina. Bye, Kathlene." He steered them both towards the secret door. From other parts of the castle, Sera could hear the voices of men yelling and feet pounding as they ran. "Go now, and quickly."

"But you and Mama..." Sera wanted them to stop acting like that. By now, she had sensed something was very wrong. She wiped at her mother's tears, hoping she would stop crying. "Mama…" she began again.

"We will keep off the guards as long as we can. You have to get away quickly."

Sera had also begun to cry from the intensity of it all. She knew that her life would never be the same again. She was afraid that in leaving her parents, she would be losing them forever. She hugged both her parents, and then reluctantly, began making her way down the corridor. Kat, confused about what was happening, followed. The door thumped behind them, giving everything an air of finality. Inside the tunnel, it was oddly quiet and very dark. The walls and floor were made of smooth stone, and an occasional mage globe helped light the way.

Kat, still confused about what was happening, asked, "Sera, where're we going? Where's Papa and Mama?"

Sera didn't know the answers to those questions, so she told Kat, "We're going on an adventure, but mama and papa have to stay behind or our teachers will worry. When we come back, we can tell mama and papa all about what we did and maybe they can come with us next time."

Kat's eyes started shining. Jumping up and down, she asked, "What kind of adventures? Are we going to meet dragons or lionesses or other immortals? Are we going to become famous?"

Sera giggled, "Lionesses aren't immortals."

"But the teachers always tell us to become like lionesses. And there are lots of stories about them too."

"No, it's _the_ Lioness. And we might be able to meet her. She's the most famous person in the world. Now, we should be quiet or else mama and papa won't let us go."

Kat immediately shushed up, though she continued skipping ahead cheerfully.

After a while, the end of the tunnel finally came into sight. A creaky wooden door led them outside. Stepping into the night air, Sera looked around. They had come out of the back of the castle, next to the canal. The moon was bright, giving everything a slightly silver glow. Just like her parents said, Gammon was waiting for them.

Kat, glad to be out of the tunnel, ran to Gammon and beamed with joy. "Gammon! Where are we going? Are we going to go fight turtles?" Kat asked.

Gammon chuckled, "Turtles aren't worth your time, Katy. Most of them aren't even bigger'n your head." Suddenly, the bell started tolling again. Gammon's face instantaneously turned grim. "We have to get out of here quickly. I'll tell you more when we get going."

He indicated to the canal, where a small boat was waiting. They boarded the boat started gliding soundlessly over the water. They found a pile of their stuff on it, already packed. "When did you pack this stuff?" Sera asked, curious.

"We already had it ready for a couple months just in case something happened. Unfortunately, something did happen."

"What happened?"

"Well…they found out." Gammon's voice was hesitant.

"Who found out what?" Sera felt a shiver go down her spine. She listened attentively, despite dreading what was going to be the answer.

Gammon hesitated before simply stating, "Your parents are spies."

For a moment, Sera felt as if the world around her had frozen. Then, her vision started to swim. She clutched at Gammon's arm, trying to stay standing. Though she was usually calm and could take surprises without blinking an eye, when she heard this news, she started to lose her composure. "You're joking, right? Tell me you're joking." Sera laughed nervously. When Gammon didn't say anything, she stared at him incredulously, "Gammon, say something. Gammon? Gammon!" She shook his arm roughly and continued laughing hysterically. Gammon didn't say anything, waiting for her to calm down.

After a while, Sera's laughter began to die down. "Sorry," she muttered, feeling ashamed.

"'S ok," Gammon told her. "It's the first time I seen you lose it. Sometimes you just have to let it run its course."

"So mama and papa are spies," Sera said, mostly to herself. Out of all the criminals, spies were the most feared one in Maren, therefore they suffered the worst punishments.

"It's best if you don't dwell on it too much. Plus, there's always a chance that they'll get away." Gammon sounded unconvinced by his own words. They both knew that the castle guards were all highly skilled at fighting. Under King Bora, Maren has secretly focused more on military power.

A shadow fell on them, blocking the moonlight. A merchant ship had approached their little boat. Sera started, wondering if there were guards on board. However, Gammon waved it off. "It seems like our ride is here," he commented, then whistled three times loudly. A rope ladder tumbled down the side of the ship. "Well," he grabbed some bags and strapped it onto his back. "Let's go."


	2. Chapter 2

I didn't put a disclaimer on the first chapter, so I'll put it here.

**Disclaimer:** **I don't own Tortall and some of the characters (unfortunately).**

I don't know if it happens to anyone else, but after I write something, I can't tell if it's good or bad, so review please!

Sorry for the wait. Here's chapter 2!

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><p>A week later, the three of them finally arrived in Corus. During the trip, Gammon had told Sera and Kat the identities they were going to use, and made sure they memorized it. Sera and her sister came from a small fief in the outskirts of Tortall called Maegi. Her parents were killed when they were younger, and they now lived with their uncle Gammon.<p>

Here, Sera had interrupted him, "Wouldn't the king notice if we came from a fief that didn't exist?"

Gammon had replied, "The king is one of the few people who know your true identity, along with Sir Myles. Others might suspect, of course, which is why you'll have to be careful."

Corus was a very busy town, packed with many different types of people. Back in the castle, Sera and Kat weren't allowed to go into the city. The only people they saw were their teachers and the other trainees, with the exception of their parents, who visited occasionally. Unfortunately for Sera and Kat, they couldn't explore the city right away. Gammon dragged them away, and led them to the castle.

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><p>Padraig haMinch was a tough man. He wasn't handsome and he wasn't young. The only word Sera could find to describe him was hard. This is what I would imagine a real knight would look like, Sera thought, not one of those fairy tale heroes. His clothes were plain, and as she glanced around the room, Sera saw that the furniture was also plain and practical, without any decorations. Lord Padraig surveyed Sera, disapproval showing through his eyes.<p>

Sera was a rather plain girl. She has dark brown hair that falls to her shoulder, though she usually ties it back into a tiny ponytail. Her eyes are dark brown, like her hair. A bit on the short side, her lips are full, and she has a slightly crooked nose. Since she prefers to wear long sleeved shirts and breeches, people usually don't see her muscles. They naturally assume she is weak. However, starting at age four, she had been trained in swordsmanship, riding, archery, tilting, and all different sorts of weapons. She has even been taught by a Shang master on hand to hand combat.

Lord Padraig snorted. "What kind of joke is this? This lass wouldn't even be able to hold a sword. Mark my words. She'll be running home before the week is done."

Sera had never been affected by insults. She thought they were a waste of time, and they, most often than not, weren't true.

Gammon tightened his jaw, not as unaffected by the words as Sera was. "If her work is unsatisfactory, then you may tell her so. However, she hasn't done anything yet so you shouldn't judge her."

"Of course, that is correct. If she cannot keep up, we will send her back home, but it is not because she is a girl. We would also do the same for boys. This is for their own good. Not everyone can survive knighthood." This last comment seemed to be a warning directed towards Sera. Sera met his gaze unflinchingly.

He nodded, impressed by her courage, and went on to explain the rules and expectations of the pages. When he finished, he asked Sera, "Are you still determined to do this?"

Sera nodded, not intimidated.

Lord Padraig sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Alright. Since it is morning, you will have the rest of the day to unpack and tour the castle if you wish. But you must be ready for supper when the supper bell rings. That is when you will get a sponsor. Try not to get lost before then. Any questions?" He paused, waiting for an answer.

"No, my lord."

He nodded, satisfied. "Salma will lead you to your room now."

That was the dismissal. Sera and Gammon exited the room, to where Kat was waiting. She was standing with a short and thin woman in servant liveries. The woman had frizzy hair and large, dark eyes. A large ring of keys hung from her belt. "Sera!" Kat said gleefully. "Look, I made a new friend. Her name's Salma." She turned to Salma. "Salma, this is my sister Sera and uncle Gammon."

Gammon said, "Salma and I have already met and discussed our sleeping arrangement. Since I am staying at the palace, Kat will be staying with me. I have already moved our bags there." He motioned for Kat to go with him. "I'll take Kat to our room and Salma can show you to yours, Sera. Afterwards, I have some things to take care of, so you can take a look around the castle."

Sera nodded and they left, leaving her alone with Salma.

Salma smiled at her. "Hi, welcome to the palace. I'll show you to your room. Did you bring a servant with you?"

Sera shook her head.

"Then I'll have to assign a servant to you. Every morning, we bring you hot water for you to wash with and we start your fire. We do your laundry and mending, make your bed, clean your room, and so on. If you play any tricks on the servants, you do all of that by yourself for the rest of the year. Also, we don't look after your weapons, armor, or other equipment. That's one thing that you're supposed to learn here." While she was speaking, Salma had walked down the corridor and stopped in front of a room. "This is my room. If you need anything, just come to me.

"The ground floor is the pages' wing and the squires' rooms are the next floor up. Here is your room." Salma stopped in front of a door. There was a piece of slate on front of it with Sera's name written in chalk. "Do you have any questions?"

Sera began to decline, but then remembered something. "Can you tell me where the stables are? I want to go take a look after I pack."

Salma thought for a moment. "Unfortunately, I have some things I have to do, so I can't show you myself. However, I'll send someone to guide you."

Sera thanked Salma and went into her room. After unpacking everything neatly and strapping her sword to her belt, Sera stood outside her room, wondering what to do. Salma had said she would send someone, but there was no one in the pages' hallway. Just when she started worrying that Salma forgot, someone called, "Hey there!"

Sera turned towards the voice. It was a boy with hazel eyes and light strawberry blonde hair. She eyed him warily as he got closer. Gammon had told her not all the boys would welcome a girl page, and might even try to drive her away. Was he one of them?

He stuck out his hand. "I'm Alan of Pirate's Swoop. Nice to meet you."

Sera shook it. "I'm Sera of Maegi," she replied, remembering to use her fake identity.

Alan's eyes widened when they shook hands. "Wow! Your hands are really rough."

"Are they not supposed to be?" Sera inquired, keeping her annoyance hidden.

"No, it's not that," he replied, "It's just that I expected a gir – new page's hand to be smoother."

"That's only for people who have never worked in their lives," Sera told him placidly.

Alan grinned. "You know that you just insulted most of the young ladies and nobles in Tortall right?"

Sera didn't say anything and started studying her nails.

"I like you," Alan declared. "Let's be friends."

Sera continued to stay silent. It was hard for her to trust anyone, much less a person she just met.

Alan continued chattering. "I heard you wanted to go to the stables? Salma snagged me out of the kitchen and told me I have to show you around. Come on, I'll show you where they are." He started walking down the hallway. Sera followed. "I'm a third year page, but I started late, so now I'm fifteen. As for girl pages, there haven't been many, even after girls were allowed to try for knighthood. Though I heard there was another one starting this year."

Sera nodded, because she felt like she needed to respond in some way. They had reached the stables as they were talking. The stables were big with a lot of horses. Sera trailed along the stalls, admiring the horses inside. Alan went directly to a solid black horse.

"This one's mine," he told her, "His name's Aslan." He gave the horse a sugar cube that he had in his pocket.

"Mm," Sera absentmindedly said as she continued looking at the horses. Suddenly, she stopped in front of a white horse with brown spots. She stared in its eyes for so long, that Alan came over, wondering what happened.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked her.

"It's just the look in its eyes. It reminds me of…" She trailed off.

"Reminds you of what?" Alan prompted.

Sera shook her head, as if trying to get rid of a thought. "Do you have a sugar cube?" she asked Alan, changing the subject.

"Here," he gave her a sugar cube, wondering what she had been about to say. "I believe that horse is new. I haven't seen it around here before."

"Nay, she's not new. Daine's been working with her, so she's not been in the stables often," a new voice said from above their heads. A stocky man swung down from the lofts. "Her name's Aridee."

"Air-uh-day," Sera repeated slowly, sounding out each syllable.

The man bowed. "I'm Stefan, the head hostler. Pardon my rudeness, but what were you gonna say 'bout Aridee's eyes?"

Sera thought for a moment. She wasn't going to tell them that Aridee's eyes reminded her of many of the girls she had grew up with as a little girl. Sera couldn't put it into words, it was a mixture between loneliness and hopelessness. Eventually, most of the girls had been worked to death or killed when they were trying to escape. Sera had often wondered if her eyes held the same look. Realizing she still hadn't answered Stefan's question, she carefully said, "Her eyes…I've seen the look in them before. It's hard to explain. I guess, it feels like she's been in a bad situation."

Stefan had been watching her intently while she spoke. Slowly, he said, "You're right. Aridee's been through a lot. Her previous owner's a harsh one, and overworked her. Daine, the wild mage, has been helping her recover on her, but she just hasn't the spirit to continue anymore."

"That's a pity," Alan exclaimed. "She's a beauty."

Sera frowned. "Is there no way for you to help her?"

"There is," Stefan replied. "To start, she needs an understanding owner."

Alan grinned, catching on quickly.

Sera also realized something suspicious was going on. "Do you know of anyone like that?"

Stefan and Alan traded knowing glances. "There's one right in front of us," Stefan said.

Sera stared at him. "Are you saying…?"

Stefan's eyes twinkled. "I sense that you would take good care of her. I would like you to have her."

Sera froze, flabbergasted.

Alan smacked her on the back. "Congratulations! You just got yourself a new horse."

"But, I don't have any money," Sera recovered enough to start arguing.

"Don't you want her?" Alan asked.

"Of course, but why would they just give it to me?" Sera retorted.

Stefan replied, "Many other people don't care about animals enough to actually pay attention to them. You were able to see the hurt in Aridee. I'm sure Daine would also agree with me. Since we didn't really buy her in the first place, you won't need to pay for her."

"Just accept it," Alan told her. "You shouldn't look the gift horse in the mouth, literally."

Sera didn't reply. She was too busy getting to know her future mount.

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><p><strong>End of chapter 2<strong>

This is my first fanfic, so I don't know: Is this chapter too long?

Also, if it's Padraig haMinch, would it be Lord Padraig or Lord haMinch? I have been using Lord Padraig.

Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

When the dinner bell rang, Sera was done and ready to face whatever was coming next. She stepped out into the hallway, where the other pages were gathering. She could hear whispers from the other pages, and saw quite a few fingers pointed towards her. She kept her face emotionless and ignored them, scanning the hall for faces she recognized. She found none.

The door of the room beside her opened and someone stepped out. To Sera's surprise, it was another girl. The other girl was tense, keeping her eyes on the ground. Her skin was pale, which made the freckles on her face stand out even more. She was taller than most of the boys in the room, and had short orange hair. When she finally gathered her courage and raised her head, Sera could see that she had stormy blue eyes.

Her glance fell on Sera and her face brightened. "Hi," she murmured. "I'm Meredith of Heathercove."

"Hello, I'm Sera of Maegi."

"I'm glad I'm not the only girl," Meredith told her. "Although I'm ready for this, it's just…overwhelming."

Sera nodded.

Their conversation was interrupted by Alan, who had just arrived. "Hey, I see there's another girl. I'm Alan."

Meredith's eyes widened. "I'm Meredith," she replied. She leaned in, dropping her voice to a whisper. "Um, by any chance, are you the Lioness's son?"

Before Alan had a chance to answer, Lord Padraig arrived. "Alright piglets, let's hurry it up!"

"Piglets?" Meredith muttered.

Sera jabbed her lightly in the stomach and gave Meredith a warning glance. Lord Padraig didn't seem like a person who would tolerate interruptions.

Lord Padraig cleared his throat. "Before you get to eat, the new pages will need sponsors." The older pages automatically moved to the edges of the hallway, isolating the newbies. There were only three: Sera, Meredith, and another boy.

Lord Padraig pointed to the boy. "Introduce yourself, boy!"

"L-Leon of Hollowsedge, my lord," he managed to stammer, his face clearly showing terror.  
>"Who would like to sponsor this boy?" Lord Padraig asked.<br>A couple boys raised their hands. haMinch pointed at one and said, "Julian, he's yours."

One of the other boys who had volunteered groaned. "Lord Padraig," he whined, "Last month you let Geoffrey sponsor a new page. This time, why don't you let one of us sponsor Leon?"

Lord Padraig scowled at the boy, making him flinch. "Malcolm, I already made a choice. If you have time to complain all the time, you should use that time to do punishment work."

Malcolm bowed his head in apology. "I'm sorry, sir," he muttered.

Lord Padraig continued. "If you really want to sponsor someone, there are still two more pages."

Malcolm didn't say anything else, but from behind him, Sera heard someone whisper, "But they're _girls_."

"Now, who would like to sponsor this girl? Your name?" Lord Padraig asked Meredith.

She stared at the floor and shifted nervously. "Meredith of Heathercove."

Immediately, a boy called, "I'll take her."

Sera narrowed her eyes; she didn't want Meredith to get a bad sponsor, especially when girl pages were rare and unwanted. However, Sera's doubts about the new boy went away when she saw Alan pat him on the shoulder and wink at her.

"Alright, she's yours, Corin. Now you, tell us your name." Lord Padraig turned to Sera.

"Sera," she replied, "Sera of Maegi."

Lord Padraig asked, "Anyone?"

A tall, dark skinned boy raised his hand, "I'll –"

Alan cut him off, "I already have dibs on her."

The dark skinned boy stared at him, surprised. "But I thought you always refused to sponsor new pages. Didn't you say you didn't have any time?"

"Yeah, but this is different," he replied cheerfully. "Okay, it's decided right? Now let's go eat dinner."

Lord Padraig shook his head in exasperation. "Alright, if you want to sponsor her, you can."

The group traveled toward the dining hall. While Meredith was chattering to Alan and her sponsor, Sera walked behind them watching the other boys. She noticed there was a group of boys a little ways in front of them shooting glances at Meredith and her. Straining her ears to hear what they were saying, she could barely make out, "…have gotten three more pages, though the girls shouldn't be any trouble. If they don't quit within a week, we'll just have to make them."

Sera didn't pay any attention to them. If they wanted to try, they could, but they would be the ones running home crying.

Dinner passed rather uneventfully. After the prayer, introductions were in order. Sera had already met Alan and Meredith. Meredith's sponsor Corin was a large, dark haired boy who had an intimidating air about him. However, after spending some time with him, Sera realized that, in spite of the menacing aura, he was actually very kind and tended to listen more than speak. Thus, he suited Meredith perfectly, because Meredith had been ceaselessly chattering to him ever since they met.

Leon, a fellow new page, was rather shy. Short copper-red curls framed his face, and his blue eyes stood out strikingly against his pale complexion. His sponsor Julian, who was shorter than Sera, had brown hair and a slightly crooked nose. When asked how he got it, he explained, "I got my nose broken in a fight when I was young. My family got me to the healer a bit too late."

There were also two other boys, a Bazhir and a cheerful blonde boy whose names Sera found out were Akil and Triston, respectively. After a hearty dinner, the pages headed back to their own rooms. Alan had slapped Sera's back and told her to get a good night's sleep because, boy, would she need it.

Sera took Alan's advice and went to bed early, not daunted by tomorrow's challenges.


End file.
